Search - Samantha James :: Rise

Favorite music/Favorite album

Tristan Caruso | Miami, FL | 06/17/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album defined music for me. This is the music that I've been searching for my entire life.



For the first 6 months I had this album, I couldn't stop playing it. I still play it a few times a month to this day. There is no other music that sounds like this. I challenge anyone to find me another artist or album that has the same or similar sound; I would be grateful actually.



For the reviewers saying she sounds like Aya or Lisa Shaw they are wrong. They all use soft vocals on their songs and don't over power the beat. But the production and the vibe from Samantha James is unlike any other. Her vocals compliment each track nicely and she doesn't overdue it.



The genre of Samantha James is hard to classify. I can't pinpoint any one or two genres in particular. But there are hints of Soul, Jazz, Dance, Electronica, and more.



This is one of the few albums can be played from beginning to end without skipping tracks. I enjoy playing it in car rides, while I'm surfing the web or cleaning the house.



I definitely recommend this album. At least give it a try and listen to the samples or find a track or two on youtube. You won't be dissapointed. I personally hope Samantha James continues to make music for many more years.



* Also I would like to mention, I just purchased her new album on iTunes and I like it just as much as the first which is hard to say for many artists now a days."

Samantha James : Rise

AC | 07/03/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is a bust have if you're into dance, ambient or chill out music. Great vocals, smooth melody, cant wait to get her next album."

An outsider's opinion

Philip Masiakowski | Milwaukee, WI USA | 10/08/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I am not on the inside of the whole "OM Records" thing, and I have no idea who Blue Six is. (This makes me the only reviewer here who seems to meet these criteria.) Were it not for a free track by Samantha James being offered as "Daily Free MP3" on Amazon, I would never have heard of her.



Funnily enough, I didn't even download the free mp3. I just liked the style of the 30-second clip, so I decided to check out who this artist was by looking up her debut album, which turned out to be "Rise". The clips of those songs were equally cool, and her praises were highly sung by the Amazon reviews listed here, so I picked it up.



No doubt, the style here is very soothing. The ethereal synth wooshes of "Enchanted Life", the instantly catchy vocal melody that enters in the first verse of "Breathe You In", the nice change of pace in "I Found You" and "Rain"...all of these are very pleasant, as are James' soft vocals. Plus, the intro in "Come Through" is actually Depeche Mode-ian--a truly interesting piece.



However, just from an outsider's opinion...this album offers little to win me over to the chill thing. I love soft electronica like "Life Is Full of Possibilities" by Dntel or "Kid A" by Radiohead, but I love those albums not on mood alone. They are wildly imaginitive and possess the ability to surprise musically. "Rise", on the other hand, too often plays it safe by following the same pattern set out in the opening moments.



Also, her lyrics are more than a bit embarassing, marked by her efforts to turn the most overdone lyrical cliches into profound statements by merely repeating them a dozen times during a song. Consider lines like "I just can't believe that you've been sent to me from above"; "I've been searching for so long to feel your touch"; "Dreams become a reality"--very few would find these insightful or interesting. When I paged through the lyrics booklet before I even popped the CD, I was scared, and my concerns ended up being justified.



I enjoy "Rise". I really do. I don't find it exceedingly inventive or necessary, that's all, and so I don't believe repeated listens would be endurable (beyond the three or four times I already have). If you're looking for a cross between Kylie Minogue and Goldfrapp that you can read a book or sip a smoothie too, James is as polished as any. Maybe I would enjoy checking out her second album more...should've picked up that mp3 when it was free! :)"